The present invention relates to technology which manages access to a device coupled to a server via a network. The present invention particularly relates to technology which enables safe and easy remote operation in a system in which the device is virtually available as in a case where the device is directly connected to the server.
A control method capable of controlling a server such as a personal computer (PC) or workstation located in a remote place has been generally performed by employing an information terminal at hand such as a PC, personal digital assistant (PDA), or portable telephone. Such a method is referred to as a server/client system. In the server/client system, a large-scale server is subdivided in a time division manner or the like, among information terminals at hand, that is, terminals on a client side, to be utilized. The server/client system is utilized in a case where processing capability of a terminal on the client side is low, and/or a case where a certain level of security cannot be ensured for a terminal of the client side. In the server/client system, the server communicates with the clients via the Internet or an intranet. Such communication is now provided with service on a broadband network at low cost. This contributes to widespread use of the communication of the server control method.
In the sever/client system, in order to control a server installed at a remote place by an information terminal (client terminal) at hand, a program which is used for controlling the server is installed in the server, whereas another program which is used for displaying a result obtained by controlling the server is installed in the client terminal. Also, when there is a risk that data will be stolen or that data will be altered in a communication path coupling the server and the client terminal, another program is used by which a virtual private network (VPN) is established so as to encrypt the communication path. In order to confirm whether or not rights for controlling a server have been applied to a client terminal and to a user who uses this client terminal, generally speaking, the following confirmation methods have been carried out. That is, specific authentication information is stored in the client terminal; a device into which authentication information has been stored is connected to the client terminal; and biological authentication information of the user is inputted to the client terminal, and the entered biological authentication information is confirmed by the client terminal or the server.
Users who utilize servers and client terminals for business cause the client terminals to display thereon results of the servers which are remotely operated at places within offices, and at any places other than the offices, for instance, at their homes, or inside vehicles, and to execute business by employing programs installed on the servers. Also, even for purposes other than business, servers and client terminals are coupled to each other, being installed, for example, in homes and data centers. Screens displayed on the servers are displayed on the client terminals, and information processing operations are carried out by employing programs installed on the servers, for instance, to read or write electronic mail, or to start up browser programs so as to view Web information, and the like. Before a series of operations are executed, communications made between the servers and the client terminals may be protected by utilizing encryption communication methods such as IPsec VPN and SSL-VPN, if required.
As previously described, utilization modes of the servers by the client terminals in accordance with the server/client systems may have the below-mentioned features. That is, as compared with cases where a system of a server/client type is not employed, entire appliance costs and risk management costs may be reduced; probability of losing information may be reduced; and simple operations may be provided and necessary information processed irrespective of types of information terminals at hand in any time and any place. One example of such server utilization modes that use information terminals at hand is described in, for instance, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-235159 (referred to as “Patent Document 1” hereinafter).
In server/client systems, there are many possibilities for servers installed at places which are physically separated from client terminals. In such cases, for example, peripheral appliances (will be called “devices” hereinafter) which are connected to information appliances, may be utilized from the client terminals via the servers, while these devices are known as CD-ROM drives directly connected to the servers. However, users cannot easily operate the CD-ROM drives, for example, to easily eject CD-ROMs, so the users may feel that operations are inconvenience.
As system capable of solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, the below-mentioned systems have been proposed, that is, while so-called “shared devices” such as CD-ROM drives, which may be accessed from any information appliance on networks such as an intranet, are installed on the networks, the CD-ROM drives are utilized virtually on the server. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,489B2 (referred to as “Patent Document 2” hereinafter), and US Patent Application Publication No. 20050240712 disclose such a utilization mode in which devices connected to a first appliance on such a network are utilized from a second appliance which is different from the first appliance on the network.